FORMER Kano State Governor and presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 general election, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has declared that his party is open to rejoining the All Progressives Congress (APC) but only if given what he called “strong promises” and clear guarantees of benefits for NNPP members nationwide.
News Point Nigeria reports that Kwankwaso made the statement at his Miller Road residence in Kano, where he hosted Buhari Bakwana, a former political adviser to ex-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, and a large delegation of APC members from all 44 local government areas of Kano State.
The former Minister of Defence reminded his visitors that he and other key political figures were among the founding fathers of APC in 2013, enduring intense political persecution at the time.
“Nobody in the country will tell me the burden we took in creating APC. We were the ones who led the creation of the party, and we were the first set of seven governors to declare support for it. ICPC, EFCC, and the police were all used against me then, just to stop our plans,” Kwankwaso recalled.
He insisted that any conversation about returning to APC must include a clear roadmap outlining what NNPP and its candidates stand to gain.
“If you are asking us to join APC, you must tell us what NNPP will gain. We have gubernatorial candidates in all the states and full structures nationwide. What will you offer them if we join?” he asked pointedly.
Kwankwaso also took a swipe at both APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing them of failing to honor previous political agreements.
“Eight years of APC under the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari gave us nothing, not even appreciation. In PDP, we asked for just a zonal party chairman, but they refused. We left peacefully and today we are strong and have integrity,” he stated.
The NNPP leader stressed that his party has grown into a formidable national force, boasting full structures across Nigeria, and would not accept to be “used and dumped.”
“We are ready to join APC under strong conditions and promises. We will not allow anyone to use us and later dump us,” he declared.
Kwankwaso’s remarks come amid speculation of realignments and coalition talks ahead of the 2027 general elections, with some insiders suggesting that APC may be exploring ways to consolidate its base in Kano, a crucial state with one of Nigeria’s largest voting populations.
A source close to the NNPP Leader told News Point Nigeria that Kwankwaso’s conditions may include a power-sharing deal, prominent appointments for NNPP stakeholders, and clear assurances of policy input, a negotiation strategy aimed at preventing what he described as past betrayals.
As of press time, APC’s national leadership had yet to issue an official statement in response to Kwankwaso’s remarks.
Party sources, however, say that overtures are being made to reconcile with major political actors ahead of the next electoral cycle.
